Finally, brethren, farewell. Be restored, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
The joy referred to here will come when the Corinthians mend their ways, after which it will be possible for them to mature in faith. But before that there will be consolation, enabling them to abandon the pleasure of the present in favor of hope for things to come. The peace of God is one thing, but the peace of the world is another. People in the world have peace, but it works to their damnation. The peace of Christ is free from sins, and therefore it is pleasing to God. A person who has peace will also have love, and the God of both will protect him forever. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Be perfect. The Greek word used here denotes to mend a torn garment. S. Paul is alluding to the vices, evil habits, and especially the lukewarmness of the Corinthians. He says in effect: Make yourselves whole again, correct your old faults, curb the license of your lives, Revelation -knit your severed friendship, union, and concord, so that you may have nothing to correct, nothing calling for punishment at my hands. Or, again, the word used is one bidding them agree amongst themselves and with their head, even as members in a body agree with each other under a common head. Cf1Cor. xii16 , note.
Be of good comfort. Exhort one another to better things (Latin version). Have consolation in mutual agreement (Vatablus).
Be of one mind. Have the same convictions, the same will: be of one mind and one soul.
Live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you. God is the author and giver of peace, and is well pleased with peace: as its guardian, He will be with you (Anselm). Edine...
Rejoice. Chai rete, bene valete. In this sense the Greeks used this term at the conclusion of their writings; and Loipon, to denote that the writer or speaker was hastening to a conclusion. (Pastorini)
Be perfect. Literally, in the Latin be exhorted. (Witham)
How can Paul expect them to rejoice after he has said this kind of thing to them? It is for this very reason that he says it. For if they follow what he commands, there will be nothing to prevent them from rejoicing. Nothing is more comforting than a pure conscience.
For the rest, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
What means, for the rest, brethren, rejoice? You have pained, terrified, thrown them into an agony, made them to tremble and fear, and how do you bid them rejoice? 'Why, for this very reason I bid them rejoice. For,' he says, 'if what is your part follow' upon mine, there will be nothing to prevent that joy. For all my part has been done; I have suffered long, I have delayed, I have forborne to cut off, I have besought, I have advised, I have alarmed, I have threatened, so as by every means to gather you in unto the fruit of repentance. And now it behooves that your part be done, and so your joy will be unfading.'
Be perfected. What is, be perfected? 'Be complete, fill up what is deficient.'
Be comforted. For, since their trials were numerous, and their perils great, he says, 'be comforted, both by one another, and by us, and by your...
